It’s the smaller, lower-key nights that hold the most appeal in Cardiff this month, as – with the exception of the long-since sold-out JONATHAN RICHMAN shindig in Clwb (28th) the medium-scale and up shows favour duller, worthier fare. The always-excellent ERRORS return once more, their splendidly crunchy, danceable post-rock/electro ever a treat. Top bill for their Clwb show (13th) where top-drawer Rock Action labelmate REMEMBER REMEMBER and Three Trapped Tigers man TOM ROGERSON support. Errors move on to the Fleece (14th) but y’know, Clwb will be way better. GENTLE FRIENDLY will hopefully make it this time, having pulled their Swn show; the dayglo No Age/Japanther thump is scrappy, life-afffirming fun (Undertone, 5th), as are awesome brother-sister noise outfit THE HYSTERICAL INJURY (10 Feet Tall, 16th). Denver-based pair GAUNTLET HAIR mine a similar seam to Gentle Friendly, albeit a less euphoric, grubbier one, and should be checked out at Buffalo (18th). Speaking of euphoric, there’s primary-coloured cheeky house fun from Raf Daddy out of THE 2 BEARS at Clwb (16th), where entry is free if you bring a radiator or something; get there early for the witchy Knife-style electronica of FACE + HEEL.

The laudable recent trend for booking return visits for friends of Swn weekends past and present continues, with THOMAS TRUAX (10 Feet Tall, 8th) and his mechanical menagerie back for his 768th Cardiff date, the battering ram two-man hardcore fun of RUN, WALK returning at Buffalo (3rd, or Louisiana, 2nd), promising Barely Regal signees HOLLAND (Undertone, 24th) and folkies both indie-fied (ROSIE TAYLOR PROJECT, 10 Feet Tall, 19th) and Jefferson Airplane fuzzy (HAIGHT-ASHBURY, Gwdihw, 23rd). Indiepop good and less good is back amongst us too, care of the winningly punchy ALLO DARLIN’ (Buffalo, 29th and Fleece, 28th) and the tiresome Shrag (Undertone, 25th) who are at least supported by clattering noise-pop kids TUNABUNNY.

Bristol, meanwhile, gets the plaudits for breadth of genre, gig size and eye-catching names this month. There’s an implausibly great-looking rash of shows at the o2 Academy, whose cavernous non-charms welcome LEE ‘SCRATCH’ PERRY (4th), as focused and on-point as you could reasonably expect at last May’s ATP and with an excellent band to boot; JUSTICE (9th), whose terribly overcooked second album will be bolstered live by their classic material and a shit-hot live show; the fantastically goofy ur-stadium rock of MASTODON (5th), fast becoming the Metallica it’s ok to not push off a cliff; and GZA (18th), possibly the third best living Wu-Tang member and most likely ambling through the best bits of ‘Liquid Swords’ on a bill with brit-hop lifers SKITZ & RODNEY P. The Academy (20th) and Cardiff Uni (19th) also host the NME Awards Tour, which is worth a punt for METRONOMY’s arch electropop gems and, in particular, the deliciously filthy electro-boosted hip-hop of AZEALIA BANKS. Both will make the rank indie rock losers on the bill look like eternal dullards.

Elsewhere, Bristol has some tidy-looking gems, not least at the Cube. There, MARY HAMPTON’s disquieting subject matter and crystalline vocals make for superbly warped alt-folk which will be a highlight of the month’s listings (11th). The same venue also hosts an ace triple-bill of experimental duos (17th) headlined by Brooklyn’s HIGH PLACES, whose bleached-out psychedelic pop is ably supported by THE HYSTERICAL INJURY and Zun Zun Egui / SJ Esau side-project HESOMAGARI. I know, right? Hyper-literate pop polymath MOMUS is at the Cube too (10th), while around the grounds Bristol rounds up varied treats care of beloved agit-folk-punk duo VIALKA (Café Kino, 17th), the mighty post-hardcore screamalong fun of Leeds nutbars PULLED APART BY HORSES (Fleece, 18th), ex-Cul de Sac man and 12-string picker par excellence GLENN JONES (Arnolfini, 23rd, with SHARRON KRAUS), RM HUBBERT, formerly of unsung Glaswegian post-rock outfit El Hombre Trajeado (seriously, look them up) and now solo (Cube, 2nd with Cardiff’s THINGS MAKE ELECTRIC), STILL CORNERS’ poised detachment and brittle Broadcast melodies (Louisiana, 9th), glorious Fence Records drone-folk from KING CREOSOTE & JON HOPKINS and the fine WITHERED HAND (Fleece, 5th) and the perennially underrated and beautifully crafted pop of FIELD MUSIC (Fleece, 23rd)..

Qu Junktions are back, bringing intriguing and playful experiments in techno from ITAL (formerly of solid Dischord kids Black Eyes, still half of no-wave freaksters Mi Ami) to Bristol’s Take 5 Café (10th). Diogenes have a couple of excellent shows, with exploratory psych lifers ASHTRAY NAVIGATIONS (Croft, 9th) and slow-crawling doom from PUS and others (Croft, 2nd). Blinding scenes at the Cube (25th); “experimental tuba trio” ORE offer a wall of numbing low-end and, well, shitloads of whacked-out brass. Come on, that sounds amazing. ANTA, FAIRHORNS and SKJOLBROT make up a corking bill. This month’s obligatory SATURDAY’S KIDS mention: they’re at the Croft on the 16th before a launch gig for the new ‘Grey On White’ 7″ which takes place in the basement of Newport’s Barnabas Arts Centre (23rd).

What have I missed? Not a lot, although I heard DJANGO DJANGO’s assured late-period Beta Band single on the radio this morning and it was pretty good (Cooler, 25th). THE DEATH OF HER MONEY appear with AXIS OF at Buffalo (26th), always good. THE AFTERNOONS, presumably cryogenically frozen since 2001, are back and playing Buffalo (25th); sweet South Walian Sarah Records pop, as I recall. LONEY, DEAR does sad-eyed Swedish melancholia (Louisiana, 19th) and CLAP YOUR HANDS SAY YEAH, who must be gutted to be in the round-up, tour their sadly flat recent material at the Thekla (4th). Nice surf one-two at the Cube (4th) with MUSTARD ALLEGRO and HANGMEN, who I should get around to seeing. Gathered In Song have OX playing Le Pub (8th) and FANFARLO do brass-assisted junior Arcade Fire-isms (Thekla, 27th). Think that’s about it. Time for my cocoa.

Yes, look at all that event blurb below. So much blurb. The people in Science Bastard are so confident of people turning up to their album launch that precisely bum-all details have been attached to the FB event or Le Pub listing (bar a couple of embedded videos). Who are they? What music do they play? What do they think about the Eurozone crisis? To be honest, I can’t be arsed either: come to this, buy an album, buy a T-shirt, laugh at Vern, think about where your life is going, buy another album, go away. Sorry, home. It’s worth the entry fee.

Nothing weird about ultra-prolific Japanese psych-rock behemoth ACID MOTHERS TEMPLE playing in a bar in Bridgend.  On a Monday night (Hobos, 14^th).  Nope, hang on, that’s highly weird, yet fantastic.  It’s cheap (£8 maximum) and has excellent support from longform psych improvisers BEAR-MAN.  Oh, and Hawkwind’s Nik Turner might turn up and play because he lives down the road.  Splendid.  If Bridgend’s too much of a stretch, AMT play the Thekla on the 15^th too.  Further exploratory truffles can be uncovered in the no less unusual surrounds of Cathays’ Gower pub (28^th), where the Rusty Trombone of God dudes follow up their fine Sŵn bill with prepared guitar and drum workouts from BIRCHALL/CHEETHAM DUO, manipulated feedback jams from DEAS & DENTON and R. SEILIOG.  Trippy.  Elsewhere, seek out multimedia polymath PEOPLE LIKE US, who turns her unrivalled skills in A/V plunderphonics to the horror genre in ‘Magical Misery Tour’ (Cube, 17^th) and former PLU collaborator ERGO PHIZMIZ, who presents “electronic neur-opera” The Third Policeman, a feast of animation, music and interactive storytelling, over two nights at the Cube (9^th, 10^th).

More horizon-broadening stuff, again courtesy of Qu Junktions, at the same venue (16^th), where Balkan themes are interpreted by The Ex’s ANDY MOOR and Cypriot electronic composer YANNIS KYRIAKIDES.  Their take on Greek rembetika comes with Kyriakides’ film Varocha and support from Nalle and Scatter man Chris Hladowski’s psych trio THE FAMILY ELAN.  Ace.  Over at the Croft, more heavy psych treats; transcendental West African jam band GROUP INERANE, undeterred by their ATP performance going on ice, pair up with killer free noise pair FLOWER-CORSANO DUO for an unmissable night (29^th).  ONEOHTRIX POINT NEVER returns swiftly to Bristol (Cube, 22^nd) with an A/V collaboration with filmmaker Nate Boyce, an apparently career-best new set of meditative, lo-fi sampledelia and support from Planet Mu alumnus HYETAL.  Finally, for now, there’s coal-black mutant jazz from Norway’s very awesome SHINING (Fleece, 6^th).

There’s lots of excellent new releases about from Cardiff’s best and brightest, and on the back of some triumphant Swn shows a few of them take the metaphorical champagne bottle across the bow this month.  TRUCKERS OF HUSK celebrate the release of ‘Accelerated Learning’ on Shape at Clwb (26^th), and if it’s half as rumbustuous as O’Neills was last week it’ll be a treat.  Not least because RIGHT HAND LEFT HAND, who slayed Swn themselves and whose ‘Power Grab’ should be bought, now, by everyone, support.  As do yer Bear-Man.  KUTOSIS, meanwhile, have ‘Fanatical Love’ birthed on the 14^th by Barely Regal, and launch it not once but twice with a gig at Clwb (11^th, EFFORT among the supports) and a playback of the videos created for each song at Chapter Moviemaker (7^th).  Their joint tour with SAMOANS, meanwhile, takes in the Croft (13^th).  Also on the 11^th, SCIENCE BASTARD unveil ‘Pull Tiger Death Cord’ with a freebie show at Le Pub; they also support returning heroes FUTURE OF THE LEFT who bring forth new material at Clwb (20^th).  SATURDAY’S KIDS are on that bill too, one of the month’s best.  Another sees LOS CAMPESINOS! touring with Ukraine-wasting nutbar geniuses STRANGE NEWS FROM ANOTHER STAR; the ensuing chaos serves to promote LC!’s ‘Hello Sadness’ album, and calls at the Globe (9^th).  ISLET aren’t, sadly, trailing a new album – yet – but play Buffalo (23^rd) with pictish scruffs DOLFINZ and the lopsided clatter of HIS NAKED TORSO.

Away from the local heroes, it’s a bit of a cracking month for quality live tackle in the capital.  THROWING MUSES are a bit of a coup for Swn, and should make the air fair crackle with intensity in the intimate setting of the Gate (8^th).  Watch out for the GIGCLASH though, as the same dudes bring you tender, wounded love songs and sleepy/druggy West Coast pop classicism care of San Francisco’s GIRLS (Globe, 8^th) on the same night.  Bummer, I believe, is the expression, a sentiment perhaps shared by Cardiff-based fans of DANANANANAYKROYD; no sooner had I plugged the Bristol date of their farewell tour than the lovable math-pop scamps had added a bonus date (Undertone, 5^th) with DRAINS in tow.  Top sweaty fun in prospect there, as there surely will be when MARIACHI EL BRONX swing by Clwb (27^th), even if their day-job incarnation aren’t appearing this time.  JOSH T. PEARSON is another whose show moves to Clwb from the Globe (24^th); on sparkling, hilarious between-song form at End Of The Road, that should be a treat.  Less predictable, but potentially great, is GHOSTFACE KILLAH (Solus, 6^th).  Such a shame that’s not in Clwb, too, but on his day he should rip it up anyway.  WISE BLOOD, rescheduled from summer, brings his dextrous cut ‘n’ paste pop to Undertone (18^th).

Plenty of big stuff happening over the bridge.  DOOM returns to Bristol with another showcase of his multifarious pseudonyms; the best rapper of his generation appears at Motion (15^th), while over at Start The Bus there’s a chance to see SHABAZZ PALACES, capping a remarkable rebirth from Daisy Age obscurity with Digable Planets with his first UK tour (22^nd).  EXPLOSIONS IN THE SKY take their textbook quiet-loud post-rock to the big stages (o2 Academy, 20^th), a big step up considering that WILD BEASTS are only playing the Anson Rooms (19^th).  Both ought to be good, of course.  OKKERVIL RIVER have slowly become rabble-rousing main stage gold in a way Bright Eyes never really managed; they’re at the Trinity (21^st), while BESNARD LAKES’ slow-burn rootsy indie-rock should sell well at the Thekla (21^st) the same night and BON IVER will have the 4×4 crowd going wild in the aisles at the Colston Hall (11^th).  Rather than the latter, spend the 11^th in the company of ST VINCENT, whose US jaunt with our own CATE LE BON in support crosses the pond; they’re at the Fleece (11^th) for the nearest thing to a triumphant homecoming.  Also recommended: redoubtable gentle giant of folk-blues WILLIAM ELLIOTT WHITMORE (St Bonventures, 15^th), wrought, emotional indie-rockers THE ANTLERS (Thekla, 9^th), Belle & Sebastian guitarist and total chap STEVIE JACKSON’s solo debut (Thekla, 11^th) and Constellation’s SISKIYOU (Cube, 12^th, with SILVER PYRE).

More Cardiff stuff!  Gathered In Song have landed a bit of a coup with American Music Club’s MARK EITZEL’s return to Cardiff alongside alt-country troubadour RICHARD BUCKNER (Buffalo, 9^th) and they also have ex-Grand Drive man DANNY & THE CHAMPIONS OF THE WORLD (Globe, 14^th).  Italian garage/shoegaze dudes THEE PIATCIONS have their postponed show rescheduled at Buffalo (21^st) with Laura Bryon of King Alexander’s new band TENDER PREY opening.  Ace Fence Records folkster ROZI PLAIN returns (10 Feet Tall, 28^th) as do decidedly un-folky Leicester sociopaths DIET PILLS (Gower, 18^th, with SPIDER KITTEN and more).  Satisfy your noise jonesing further in the company of sludgy Londoners PALEHORSE, skronky mathrock types NITKOWSKI and those STRANGE NEWS fellows (Clwb, 3^rd) or TALL SHIPS (Undertone, 10^th), or for something a little danceable check Kitsune’s CITIZENS playing 10 Feet Tall with the ace HEMME FATALE (16^th) or indiepoppers WAKE THE PRESIDENT (Undertone, 19^th).

What else? Lots. Sleek electro-pop goodness from NEON INDIAN (Cooler, 19^th), or maybe thumpingly direct polyrhythmic Animal Collective fun from FIXERS (Start The Bus, 19^th). PURE X offer a pretty intriguing amalgam of gluey shoegaze guitars and airy 60s pop structures which could either be great or an indulgent mess live, decide for yourselves (Thekla, 7^th). There’s supercute gossamer indiepop from CULTS (Thekla, 17^th), shuddering mathy hardcore from ICE, SEA, DEAD PEOPLE (Croft, 19^th), neon Fairlight disco classicism from AZARI & III (Blue Mountain, 3^rd), woozy falsetto lo-fi from GARDENS & VILLA (Thekla, 5^th) and hearty stop-start indie-rock care of PORTUGAL. THE MAN (Louisiana, 19^th). There’s also some preposterously strong bills over at Motion, with EROL ALKAN, HUDSON MOHAWKE, JON HOPKINS, WASHED OUT and more (12^th) and JOKER, MARTYN, NATHAN FAKE and JAMES HOLDEN all on one bill (25^th). That’s before we even mention a slew of perma-touring types making swift returns to Bristol, namely MELVINS (Thekla, 4^th), DJ SHADOW (Academy, 28^th), BILLY BRAGG (Anson Rooms, 28^th), JESSE MALIN (Fleece, 29^th), WIRE (Thekla, 29^th) and JAMES BLAKE (Anson Rooms, 29^th). Ridiculous. Frankly, there’s loads more – see the listings section for ample proof – but that should be enough to keep you going. Word to the wise: December’s dead, so make the most of it.

Friday 7th October 2011
Gathered In Song presents…

DEER PARK

Deer Park is a London based collective based around Dublin born singer/songwriter Mark Christopher Grassick. Since the release of their self titled debut album which Diverse Music placed in their best of 2010 lists (Matt named it his album of the year), Deer Park have played shows all around the UK with bands like Cracker, Singing Adams, The Acorn, The Cave Singers, Elliott Brood, Ted Leo & The Pharmacists, Simone Felice, Dan Mangan, The Fruit Bats, Otis Gibbs, Paul Simon’s son Harper Simon and many others. London shows have included The Luminaire, Borderline, Windmill, Social, and several outings at americana/country nights like Come Down And Meet The Folks, What’s Cookin’ etc. Deer Park’s debut album was recorded in London by Paul Hollingsworth, mastered in the US by Billy Stull (Midlake, Okkervil River) and featured guest appearances from members of Woodpigeon, The Oxygen Ponies and Stagecoach.

“This is ramshackle, folky rock…an enjoyable ride – as rough round the edges and tumultuous as life itself” The Line Of Best Fit

“Gorgeous, pensive and perfect at the same time.” The Ruckus

“A powerful force for good” Americana UK

THE WHISKEY PRIEST

The Whiskey Priest is Austin, Texas based songwriter Seth Woods and his band. They funded this tour via a Kickstarter campaign fuelled by the backing of well wishers who appreciated that his songs are amongst the best out there and well deserving of a first UK tour. We’re delighted to oblige with a show in Newport.

“Only Richmond Fontaine do this kind of thing better” R2 – Rock ‘n’ Reel
“If 2008 belonged to Bon Iver, then The Whiskey Priest deserves 2010″ Black Plastic
“‘Wave and Cloud’ deserves your attention at a time when it is becoming increasingly difficult to locate genuine musical talent and emotional honesty in singer songwriting” Americana UK

STIV CANTARELLI

Enlisting the full roster of Richmond Fontaine as his backing band for excellent recent album Innerstate (it also features Willy Vlautin on vocals on one track and is released on Richmond Fontaine’s own label El Cortez Records), Stiv has created an album that above all recalls latter day Replacements songs like Sadly Beautiful and All Shook Down. It’s reflective, atmospheric and absolutely pretty special. Stiv’s old garage band Gold Rust played a show for us a few years back but we’re excited to see this new line up play songs from this great underground album.

Thanks to the good folks at Le Pub this show will be free entry.

Doors open 8.00pm

Venue address: Le Pub, 1 Caxton Place, Newport NP20 4BN

It gets a bit quiet round here in the summer – festival season kicking in and all that - but thankfully the absence of unnecessary chaff just makes the delicious wheaty goodness all the easier to spot.  Here’s the pick of what’s out there so far.

R STEVIE MOORE IS COMING TO CARDIFF!  This is unmissable, and here’s why.  Dude is 59 years old and has a great big bushy beard.  He has dedicated his life to churning out home-recorded albums – over 400 to date – spanning the rock and pop lexicon from unabashed Beatles/Wilson worship to wiggy psych to oddball synthpop.  He’s embraced the internet like his first meal after captivity, uploading countless home-shot videos to his Youtube channel.  If you’ve any affinity for the outsiders, the crazies, the pop historians who love the form so much they squeezed it into new, weird shapes – the Daniel Johnstons, Ariel Pinks, Irwin Chusids, Frank Zappas, Tiny Tims of this world – you need to attend his gig FOR US at Undertone on the 7th of August.  It’s his first time outside the US, his first ever tour.  He’s backed by Brooklyn psych outfit TROPICAL OOZE, and supported by our own H HAWKLINE.  It’s the gig of the month, no contest.  Possibly the year.

We’re not finished there, mark you.  In another team-up with the excellent folk of The Rusty Trombone of God, we present a totally ace line-up of psych/drone/improv treats (Buffalo, 24th) from Pasadena-based psych vets PRIMORDIAL UNDERMIND,  Bristolian bliss-out noise kings THOUGHT FORMS, Martini Henry Rifles/Brown Wings side-project BEAR-MAN and recently added special guests NAZKA who offer intense, repetetive grooves all the way from Chile.  Phew.  Goes without saying that you should also chance your arm on Rusty Trombone’s other presentation this month, wherein A S S S give it some head-spinning prog-noise and MEDDICINE dabble in Throbbing Gristle-esque dark electro gunk (Undertone, 4th).  Altered perceptions guaranteed, maaan.

Righto, shameless self-promotion over, what else is worthy of your time?  Certainly the NATNIGHT fundraiser (Clwb, 4th) which brings together a superb line-up in honour of Nat Rowson, former frontman with mind-bendingly unique early 2000s Cardiff legends The Toe and contributor to (and supporter of) the local scene, who sadly passed away earlier this year.  Folk legend WIZZ JONES, the mighty EUROS CHILDS, SPENCER McGARRY SEASON, RATATOSK, THE KEYS and the reunited STRAY BORDERS take part in aid of Nat’s adopted charities Rookwood Hospital and WhizzKidz.  Dig deep, please.  Elsewhere, further indulge your taste for marathon gigs with Lesson No. 1 and SPIDER KITTEN‘s ‘Loserpalooza’ (Buffalo, 6th) where the aforementioned doom/psych/stoner dudes appear alongside techgrind nasties ATOMCK, riff-heavy ex Circa Regna Tonat dudes THORUN, SMILER, PUS and JIMMY ROWE.

Fans of borderline acceptable toilet facilities look away now, as it’s a busy month at Undertone.  Glowering no-wave neckbreakers DIVORCE return to Cardiff (Undertone, 9th) care of Small Cities (Jim and Dan of support DRAINS); promising Baltimore noise duo WEEKENDS visit (14th, with JOANNA GRUESOME and VANITY FAIR); newly-minted Cardiff ‘zine Reeks Of Effort throw a launch party with Joy faves YAJE and SATURDAY’S KIDS alongside Joanna Gruesome and Bristol’s CAVES (11th) and decent post-hardcore types A THOUSAND ARROWS play on the 10th.

HALF MAN HALF BISCUIT in Cardiff’s, nay Wales’, most bitterly appropriately named venue?  The dream’s a reality.  The Wirral’s finest chroniclers of all that is absurd, vexatious and beautiful in this sceptred isle return to Cardiff this month (Solus, 25th), supported by JOHN MOUSE.  Just announced for Clwb is a reunion show for scabby grebo funsters turned unlikely socio-political commentators POP WILL EAT ITSELF (19th), albeit with one original member, and noted soundtrack composer Clint Mansell replaced by, er, the bloke from Gaye Bikers On Acid.  Exercise extreme caution, then.  SHONEN KNIFE are back too, returning swiftly for a 30th anniversary tour (!) with VEG CLUB and excellent new wave robopop trio SUPER CUTE VOICES in support (Buffalo, 21st).  Funtimes!  See also BEN BUTLER & MOUSEPAD aka Joe Howe, once of Germlin/Gay Against You, whose dry, hyper-nerdy, mock-serious prog-pop baffled the scattered few at Max Tundra’s last Cardiff show; he does 10 Feet Tall on the 10th.  Signature continue to wipe the floor with the competition in getting top-drawer forward-looking electronic talent across the bridge; this month alone sees atmospheric dubstep from DISCLOSURE (4th), futurist hip-hop from MIKE SLOTT (11th) and a sure-to-sell-out showcase from GIRL UNIT kicking off the bank holiday weekend (25th).  Awesome stuff.

What about you, Bristol?  Precious little this month, unless they’ve just decided to stop publicising gig details down there.  Among the highlights is a cracking double bill featuring ex-Black Flag/Circle Jerks mainman Keith Morris, now 55 and still blasting through nuggets of flinty, belligerent DC hardcore with Hot Snakes and Burning Brides alumni under the name OFF!.  They play the Thekla (5th) with the excellent TRASH TALK.  FOOT VILLAGE, staggeringly great at Undertone the other week, are in town the same night (Croft, 5th, with Matt Williams’ FAIRHORNS).  SHONEN KNIFE‘s tour takes in the Fleece (20th), where reunified stoner dudes KARMA TO BURN also appear (4th).  There’s a smattering of Green Man warm-ups over the bridge, too, for scrappy, pleasingly moody indie-folkers THE CAVE SINGERS (Fleece, 13th), 6 Music-approved trad-soul revivalist MICHAEL KIWANUKA (Thekla, 20th) and, in Cardiff, stomping, bluesy duo SHE KEEPS BEES (Buffalo, 22nd).

Some nice stuff in Bristol this month if you’re into your indie-friendly R&B slow jams and twinkling hypnogogic pop, or whatever.  HOW TO DRESS WELL are/is remarkably adept at the former, and if memory serves from Primavera last year they do it pretty tidily live too.  Check them at the Thekla (10th), and get there early for GRIMES‘ bass-weighted shoegaze if you do.  WASHED OUT‘s blissed-out, smartly rhythmic electro-pop gets a run-out the following night (Thekla, 11th), while the punchably named ∆ (alt-J, if you prefer, after the Mac keyboard shortcut – euchhh) do a serviceable UK take on similar styles (Thekla, 18th).  If all that’s too Urban Outfitters for you, how about MARK KOZELEK‘s dreamy balladry (Thekla, 9th), a Trojan Soundsystem night featuring the splendidly named EARL GATESHEAD (Start The Bus, 5th) or smiley Dirty Projectors/Polyphonic Spree pop types GIVERS (Start The Bus, 11th).  Can’t say there’s not variety.

Round-up time.  Shouldn’t take long.  The Big Weekend is, sadly, once more a nightmarish farrago of blokey Valleys emo, reanimated Britpop has-beens and soul-deadeningly bland Heart FM fare, though HYPNOTIC BRASS ENSEMBLE on the Saturday evening (6th) will be worth dodging the beakers of piss and half-digested hotdogs for.  Butetown reggae/funk songman WIBIDI, with a band comprised of various SFA-afilliated likely lads, tours South Wales taking in Undertone (2nd), Clwb (3rd), The Globe (4th) and Le Pub (26th).  RACE HORSES (Buffalo, 26th), GENTLE GOOD (CAI, 17th) and THE DEATH OF HER MONEY (Croft, 11th) are ever-reliable live turns, TEENAGE BOTTLEROCKET do serviceable punk-pop straight outta Wyoming (Le Pub, 24th) and Gathered In Song return at the end of the month with TWIN FALLS (Le Pub, 27th).  None of these chumps can hold a candle to IRON MAIDEN (Motorboat, 1st) though, so why try?  I’m off.

Art Exhibition and Book Launch – 6.30pm, wine will be served.

Live Show – 8.30 pm
Special Guests – Two Marks and a Frank, Guto Dafis + Gary Inight.

Tickets £6 for Live Show – Call (01633) 264581 or (01633) 673739 to book.

www.barnabasartshouse.co.uk

Attention!  PLEASE SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL GIG PROMOTERS.  There.  It’s said often, but occasionally needs restating in light of people (OK, us included) bringing exciting and different live music to Cardiff on a tight budget, working hard to attract live music fans along, and getting attendances of 25 or under.  There are many exceptions to this – it’s been heartening to see sell-out crowds for the likes of Warpaint and the first week take-up for Swn weekend tickets is highly encouraging – but for each success there are a handful of gigs which deserve so much better.  July’s a relatively quiet month across the region, dominated by smaller shows, so how about chancing your arm on a few more of them – a fiver spent on the last Joy Collective or Balloon gigs would have bought you roughly one and a half plastic bottles of Fosters at last night’s excellent Battles show, so it’s not too much to ask.  Right?  RIGHT.

OK, so what’s out there this month?  Plenty, that’s what.  You just have to look for it – there will doubtless be more than this lot to seek out over the next 31 days, but see this as a sampler.  First up, a few to check out early doors.  Swn wind down from four busy shows in a week with a Cardiff debut for AUSTRA (Undertone, 1st), whose beautifully poised, gloomy electronic goth-pop houses the imposing talents of Katie Stelmanis within more conventional songwriting than her earlier solo work would suggest.  Highly recommended.  Similar delicate, ornate charms abound elsewhere, with the rustic, minimalist folk of Geographic label man DIRECTORSOUND (Cafe Kino, 1st, with Headfall) and a promising-sounding blur of improv folk and electronica from SANDRO PERRI of Polmo Polpo (Cube, 5th).  Our own SWEET BABOO takes his recent EP for a walk at two sold-out shows at The Pot (June 30th & July 1st) and another at the Old Library (2nd), improvising around the full-band sound of the EP with unamplified acoustic versions, and Gathered In Song bring more country/folk/Americana gems to Le Pub (1st, FREE SHOW) with DEAD ROCK WEST, recent collaborators with The Jayhawks and X, up top.

Speaking of tireless local promoters, here’s your next Joy Collective presentation, again beaten into shape by a trustworthy grown up (genuine dude Noel at Lesson No. 1).  This time we offer harsh, mechanical no-wave and shiny metallic future-pop from Brighton’s COLD PUMAS, DIY dreampop and scrappy shoegaze from Calgary’s FRIENDO and treacly post-hardcore, pre-grunge moves from local faves SATURDAY’S KIDS.  Turn up at Buffalo on the 8th and be dazzled, please.  Ensure your continued radness by reserving further cash for Lesson No. 1′s other July show, a return visit for nutso Californian tribal cult/drum circle/public nudity genii FOOT VILLAGE (Undertone, 18th).  Their last Cardiff show clashed with every gig ever, so it’d be nice if the crowd outweighed the band this time.  Sweet supporting bill too (YAJE and more), and us Joy clots will DJ.  More weird and wonderful sounds come from future Joy collaborators Rusty Trombone Of God, who bring Part Wild Horses Mane On Both Sides back to Cardiff in the guise of two side projects (Dempseys, 21st); percussion and vocal manipulation from HARD PAN TRIO and improv flute workouts from BELIED GUNAIKO.  Chris Eynon, latterly performing bewitching solo improv/loop stuff as THE SPINES, curates and appears on a nifty bill with always great math-rock power duo ZAIL headlining (Undertone, 27th), and the dudes from SMILER (promoting as All I Wanted Was A Pepsi, check ‘em) play with Cornwall thrashers RASH DECISION, Ed Wood and Witch Cult at the Gower (11th).  Most of all, please dig deep for the second annual Headway charity alldayer (Clwb, 31st) featuring GENTLE GOOD, GINDRINKER, RATATOSK and many more.  Support these fine people, hear?

More Cardiff treats!  Top draw among the handful of larger shows this month is an unexpected and very welcome appearance from TOM TOM CLUB (Solus, 14th).  Now each 60 years of age, Frantz & Weymouth haven’t released a record as TTC since 2000 but their early ’80s recordings still retain freshness and influence.  Particularly ‘Genius Of Love’, sampled by the world and his wife over the years – including star of the successful Friday franchise and occasional rapper ICE CUBE, who rolls back the years at the very same venue on the 11th.  Coincidence?  Yes.  Keep your eyes off the waistlines and your cynicism in check and both should be good fun.  As should EVAN DANDO (Globe, 6th), shambling back into view a mere eight years after a cracking run-through of his back catalogue at Clwb.  Young shavers doing the rounds include highly-rated Canadian popsters BRAIDS, cooing and scratching, agitated and restrained and very interesting indeed (Clwb, 12th) and lovable ADHD scamps LET’S WRESTLE (Buffalo Lounge, 15th – free show, albeit spoiled by Joy DJs).  ELECTRICITY IN OUR HOMES (Undertone, 29th) should be approached with caution – looking like a fancy-dress Throbbing Gristle and with a wincingly by-numbers press release – but their angular racket should go over pretty well live, and the very fine MARS TO STAY unspool warm improv loveliness in support.

Elsewhere, there’s lovely sun-dappled lo-fi dreampop from CANDY CLAWS (Buffalo, 20th), ebbing beats and found-sound glitches from SEAMS (10 Feet Tall, 20th) and FlyLo-esque synth & percussion mutations from MY PANDA SHALL FLY (10 Feet Tall, 6th).  Signature have a busy month, promoting a solo show from Sbtrkt vocalist SAMPHA (Buffalo, 7th), DEADBOY (Buffalo, 28th) and a live double bill of ROCKETNUMBERNINE and ZWOLF (Buffalo, 21st).  ROSKA and BOK BOK appear for CYNT (Clwb, 29th) too.   Out on the margins a little, there’s some interesting stuff happening in classy places; PENGUIN CAFE play the beautifully-upholstered new RWCMD hall (29th) and Chapter host a performance from female vocal group VOIX POLYPHONIQUE at Llandaff Cathedral (19th).  Get some culture, you shapeless mob.  Speaking of classy chaps, SPENCER McGARRY SEASON debut material from Episode 3 at a rearranged 10 Feet Tall show with BAREFOOT DANCE OF THE SEA (19th); it’s free entry too, as are the intimate Old Library sessions with RICHARD JAMES (9th) and THE GENTLE GOOD (16th).

Is Bristol on holiday this month, or are they just being secretive?  Seems unusually quiet, but there’s still some good tackle.  Post-rock/electro-noise japesters TRANS AM, whose keyboard player I once witnessed spend an entire song eating a pizza, are a guaranteed hit (Fleece, 11th); VIVIAN GIRLS return, benefitting from quietened press chatter, with a smart new album and call at the Fleece too (20th); hyperactive Joy Collective pals DD/MM/YYYY bring dayglo clatter (Croft, 18th); wondrous ‘lost’ folkie KATH BLOOM, subject of a fine retrospective/all-star cover album recently, appears in suitably intimate surroundings (Cube, 28th); mighty balls-out sludge-rock types HEY COLOSSUS trail their top new album (Louisiana, 10th); and the sweet, echoey culture-clash rhythms of Anglo-Kenyan collective OWINY SIGOMA BAND are also highly recommended (Croft, 14th).  Them’s the highpoints, but there’s plenty more to check too, be it the accessible 90s-tinged house/techno/d’n'b fun of FALTY DL (Start The Bus, 16th, with excellent kindred spirit LONE), spartan, ghostly echobeats from NOSAJ THING (Start The Bus, 8th), inimitable reggae legend HORACE ANDY (02 Academy, 9th), Ninja Tune’s cut & paste originals DJ FOOD & DK (Croft, 9th), a quick return for doomy thrashers BLACK BREATH (Fleece, 10th) or the chiming, golden-voiced indie-rock harmonies of AVI BUFFALO (Thekla, 11th).

Round-up time.  Definitely rock up for Anglesey angry mob BASTIONS‘ Clwb show (1st) now featuring added STRANGE NEWS FROM ANOTHER STAR, and find similar noisy thrills with SURVIVALISTS (Undertone, 19th), BRONTIDE (Croft, 22nd), ANTA (Croft, 27th and most likely 768 other Bristol shows this month) and above all a rare appearance from killer NYC noise-metal vets UNSANE (Fleece, 13th).  SEA OF BEES do (does?) her folky thing at the Louisiana (17th) and Clwb (16th, with SIBRYDION and THE KEYS, nice bill all round), RACHAEL DADD heads a nice antifolk bill at the Cube (14th), TWO GALLANTS give it some bluesy welly (Thekla, 20th), MUSTARD ALLEGRO bring the west country surf-rock (Grain Barge, 1st), there’s a tweepop alldayer from the Big Pink Cake night (Croft, 2nd) which is worthwhile primarily for BETTY & THE WEREWOLVES if indeed they are playing, and finally let’s hear it for Supersuckers dude EDDIE SPAGHETTI, who goes solo at Clwb (28th) and Thekla (29th).

Nothing like a bit of organisational chaos to remind you how frustrating it can be to be a live music fan in Cardiff.  Or, more pointedly, a promoter, as it’s that deranged breed who’ve felt the sharp end of Millennium Music Hall’s annoucement this week that they’re to close operations at their Wood Street home before June 1st.  Cue a scramble to protect long-booked shows and find new, suitable homes for them before money, time and reputation invested in them (and Cardiff as a setting for medium-to-large shows) is lost.  The MMH will return in the autumn, in what should be impressive new premises, but some of June’s most exciting and/or intriguing shows will be elsewhere now.  BATTLES‘ return to the city (Solus, 26th) has to be the cherry on the metaphor this month; new line-up, new album, same kinetic, intricate and powerful math-rock rhythms twisting and unwinding into huge hands-in-the-air moments of release.  ISLET and TRUCKERS OF HUSK complete a dream bill, with H. Hawkline’s Huw Evans now augmenting the former onstage en route to a full Cardiff bands bingo card, and Truckers will play their about-fucking-time debut album in full.  Sweet.  Book early.  Book right away, though, for another high-profile Swn show; spooky tribal dance-poppers WARPAINT team up with the studied but slyly tuneful Mary Chain-isms of CRYSTAL STILTS at the lower capacity Globe (23rd) and tickets are already scarce.

Away from such tribulations, there’s an awful lot more excellent stuff about this month.  Your Joy bulbs humbly present KELLIES, cracking Buenos Aires grrl-punks in the vein of the Slits or ESG, at Buffalo (19th), with support from ace wonky lo-fi kindred spirits BELLIES! and JAMES JAMES.  Do turn up, they’re all really bloody good.  Further idiosyncratic thrills are brought to you by various good eggs.  Swn present THOMAS TRUAX and his menagerie of anthropomorphic homemade instruments, at the reopened Norwegian Church (7th, with the highly fun FRANCESCA’S WORD SALAD); Balloon’s latest outing pairs schizo post-rock-meets-indie types CATS & CATS & CATS with the charming slacker pop of EFFORT and a packed line-up of authors (Undertone, 15th); and meanwhile, upstairs Gathered In Song offer pristine Appalachian folk from both sides of the pond with the CHAPIN SISTERS and BAREFOOT DANCE OF THE SEA (10 Feet Tall, 15th).  JONNY make a swift return, taking in the Globe (28th); their effortless songwriting, glorious harmonies and magnificent straight-faced banter were a joy to behold at Clwb last time, so don’t hang about.  That’s the last of four shows in six days for Swn, who also present ex-Czars frontman, Midlake collaborator and friend of Cardiff JOHN GRANT (Gate, 26th).  More delicate treats in store at the intimate Big Little City series in the Old Library this month, with H. HAWKLINE (11th), MEILIR (18th) and COLORAMA (25th), and they’re all free – as is the first airing for SPENCER McGARRY SEASON‘s new material, a keyboard-led return to the indelible pop hooks of Episode 1 (10 Feet Tall, 8th).

Hardier souls will dig the efforts of Le Pub in securing blistering Sacramento hardcore smashers TRASH TALK (15th – probably sold out, fools) and the bracing DIY doom-meets-grind line-up of DIET PILLS, SPIDER KITTEN, ATOMCK and SMILER going down at the Gower in Cathays (11th).  Texan post-rockers THIS WILL DESTROY YOU detour nicely away from previously competent if inessential post-rock with a fine, raging new album and a Cardiff debut at Clwb (26th) with well-chosen support in THE DEATH OF HER MONEY and a rotten head-to-head clash with Battles (though the latter play Bristol Trinity on the 28th too).  STRANGE NEWS FROM ANOTHER STAR‘s last gig for some time (due to absconding drummer) is reason enough to go to CAI (8th) but leave before Tribes, who have an horrific/hilarious biog and sound like Razorlight being taught the Singles soundtrack at gunpoint.  Much better is the epic prog/blues/improv noise of AVASH AVASH, silent for ages but returning at 10 Feet Tall (27th), the pleasingly overblown tribal pop yelpings of WU LYF (Clwb, 9th) or the modish psych and killer tunes of THE KEYS (Norwegian Church, 11th).

The noisy and DIY are recurring themes over in Bristol this month, too.  The Cube lead the way, with some exceptional bills starting early doors with pounding, minimal Chicago mob DISAPPEARS and nicely spare, brooding fare from SLEEPING STATES (2nd) followed by the frazzled, sunburned psych and 12-string gorgeousness of SIX ORGANS OF ADMITTANCE teamed with Invada’s THOUGHT FORMS, whose own epic, droning improv noise will feature at an upcoming Joy gig, on the 3rd.  Drone-folk genius ALEXANDER TUCKER trails a new album at the same venue on the 11th with his South Walian counterpoint RATATOSK in expertly chosen support, a definite high water mark for the month.  Tucker’s over at the Fleece on the 6th, too, sandwiched between ANTA and headliners ÆTHENOR, a hypnotic improv/ambient/metal hybrid featuring Stephen O’Malley of Sunn 0))) and Daniel O’Sullivan of Guapo.  Yes please.  The Fleece also hosts a mighty double-header of BORIS and RUSSIAN CIRCLES on the 21st and the more contemplative, hymnal post-rock of MONO on the 8th.  There’s some right gems in the smaller bolt-holes too; THE JELAS are busy as ever, teaming up with painfully loud, utterly ace prog/math titans SHIELD YOUR EYES and MODEL BOAT (County  Sports Club, 24th) and furious Glaswegian duo BRONTO SKYLIFT (Mother’s Ruin, 12th) and FUZZY LIGHTS do a nicely edgy, symphonic instrumental take on the folky thing (Croft, 14th, with Thought Forms and CAI, 15th).

Elsewhere in Bristol there’s recommendations across the spectrum.  THE PAINS OF BEING PURE AT HEART feed c86 classicism through a huge noise-pop filter (Trinity, 9th); the utterly life-affirming hybrid pop of tUnE-yArDs – a one-woman collision of afrobeat, R&B, folk and electro-pop – is a must-see at the Fleece (20th); HERMAN DUNE‘s deathlessly pretty antifolk returns to the Thekla (4th);  ANAIS MITCHELL is a dark horse of a singer-songwriter with a fluid, theatrical album in Hadestown and well worth a look (St Bonaventure’s, 6th) and there’s vibrant, endearing takes on trad forms with KITTY DAISY & LEWIS‘ rockabilly/swing revival (Clwb, 8th and Thekla, 18th) and FRANK FAIRFIELD who returns to the Cube (4th) with archival appalachian trad-folk.  There’s also a showcase for one of the year’s finest debut albums as NICOLAS JAAR‘s warm, minimal house and purring techno hits the Thekla (8th), and if that’s appealing then the long-awaited Cardiff debut of JOY ORBISON (4hr b2b set with Jackmaster at Clwb, 24th), a full-band return for JAMES BLAKE (Globe, 16th) and a cracking dubstep/future bass double-header with KODE 9 and EGYPTRIXX (Clwb, 17th) should also be in your diary.

Revival corner!  Plenty of chances to relive past glories this month, whatever the decade of your long-since snuffed-out dreams.  The MMH fallout means a short-notice relocation for the revived PUBLIC IMAGE LTD, now playing the Coal Exchange (2nd), which if they’re remotely interested should be pretty great.  Did anyone know that PRIMAL SCREAM were ‘doing’ Screamadelica in full in the Great Hall (20th)?  Does this gig exist?  Early 80s raincoat new wavers THE WILD SWANS visit Thekla (9th), CHEAP TRICK do the O2 Academy (12th) and – I shit you not – schlock ‘n’ awe latex-and-jizz metal monsters GWAR are relocated from the MMH to Walkabout (14th).  That’s right, they’ll tread the same boards as once did Karl Kennedy off Neighbours.  You couldn’t make it up, huh?  Finally, if you’re hankering for a return to the glory days of the early noughties, THE CORAL plod on (O2 Academy, 23rd) and JIMMY EAT WORLD do that one good song (Great Hall, 21st).  Go nuts.

A few last ones to note, late announcements and general stuff I forgot.  RACE HORSES and H. HAWKLINE do a cheap short-notice show at Clwb (1st), GINDRINKER and JOY OF SEX team with THE OUTDOOR TYPES (Buffalo, 3rd), ZOEY VAN GOEY do nice winsome indie pop (Buffalo, 1st), This Heat/About Group man CHARLES HAYWARD plays the Croft (1st), SURVIVALISTS should be checked out (Clwb, 2nd) and there’s a literally-announced-today album launch for ex-Fredrick Stanley Star man LITTLE ARROW at The Pot cafe (16th).  Enjoy it while it lasts.

Spring has actually bloody gone and sprung.  Longer days, bank holidays, the first wave of festivals.  People attending gigs in shorts. Clearly it’s not all good news, then, but the glut of live activity this month should provide even more encouragement to get you lazy gets out of the house and into the musical cattlesheds of South Wales and the surrounding area.  Let’s have a look at it, shall we?

Kicking off in Cardiff, the cream of the city’s indie promoters offer a nice mix of the familiar (but welcome) and unfamiliar (but intriguing).  A rare live outing for THE HIGH LLAMAS, Sean O’Hagan’s seasoned Brian Wilson/Tropicalia-referencing outfit, is hugely recommended, so top work Swn.  Expertly chosen support from Cardiff’s own hyper-literate composer/arranger extraordinaire SPENCER McGARRY too (Globe, 21st).  Also very nice to see in the listings are Wolf Parade side-project HANDSOME FURS (Buffalo, 14th); Dan Boeckner’s me-and-the-missus distraction has delivered two albums of streamlined synthpop/indie-rock which beat out most of his main band’s work.  They’re here courtesy of Loose, who also have a paw in several other lower-key but excellent offerings this month; WET PAINT put out a cracking album of hooky, archly funny Pavement/Broken Family Band-esque pop to near-silence a while back and should unreservedly be checked out at Undertone (30th), and there you can also see the ungoogleable yet thrillingly ace post-punk polyrhythmic attack of Baltimore’s THANK YOU (19th, with ex-King Alexander duo JAMES JAMES supporting).  Back at Buffalo, get discovering the chiming lo-fi pop and mush-mouthed crooning of Belfast cuties GIRLS NAMES (4th), and a cracking Swn-helmed double bill of inventive, kinetic mathy noodling from THREE TRAPPED TIGERS and TALL SHIPS (19th).  There’s also welcome returns for prolific Richman-esque indie mavericks THE WAVE PICTURES (Clwb, 12th, with THREATMANTICS), THE VOLUNTARY BUTLER SCHEME (Rob Jones’ shuffling kitchen-sink pop enterprise supports the VEG Club at 10 Feet Tall on the 17th), FRANCOIS & THE ATLAS MOUNTAINS, now Domino-signed and back at 10 Feet Tall on the 3rd, and MISTY’S BIG ADVENTURE whose Panini sticker-style collection of Cardiff venues is complete with a stop at 10 Feet Tall on the 5th where they’re assisted by your GINDRINKER.  Yes.

It’s a packed month, actually; there’s loads more of this stuff to recommend.  The mighty ISLET play Primavera Sound this month, which is great news for them and the dozens of Cardiffians doubtless attending; they’ll limber up with an, er, intimate show at Undertone (23rd) which should be chaos.  Likewise, FUCKED UP kindly mark my impending birthday by squeezing in a full-bill matinee show (Clwb, 7th) ahead of their Croft gig in Bristol that night.  Tour supports BLACK LUNGS and, better, nutso Copenhagen hardcore pups ICEAGE join the fun.  Tickets strongly advised.  Staying with the harder stuff, there’s an alldayer at Clwb on the 15th in aid of MIND with a ton of fine punk, doom and hardcore types like THE DEATH OF HER MONEY, BASTIONS and GOODTIME BOYS and, courtesy of Lesson No. 1, the Bristolian cosmic prog magnificence of ANTA ably backed by local doom/sludge purveyors PUS and THORUN (9th).  Over in Newport, Cardiff City Hardcore’s 60th and final show is a half-day blowout (Le Pub, 7th) with a full eight hardcore outfits bidding them farewell.  IRONCLAD, HARBOUR and DEAL WITH IT feature strongly, while the night before a preview show features CROSSBREAKER and more.  LAST PARTISAN do the Meze (6th) that night too, a pretty splendid weekend for Newport heads all told.  YUCK‘s peppy grunge revivalism is all fine and dandy, and good luck to them as they play Millennium Music Hall’s smaller room (15th) and the Thekla (16th), but spare a thought for the giddy pop shambles of LET’S WRESTLE as they tag along in support.  If you’re going to either date, turn up early and clutch the Wrestle to your bosom, kids.  Oh yeah, and because I didn’t fit it in elsewhere, props to Cardiff Arts for booking blissful Chicago electroacoustic drone duo MOUNTAINS because they’re awesome.  That’s on the 26th, with a show at the Arnolfini the following night.

What of Bristol, then?  Fucking loads, that’s what.  Some top marquee shows this month at the Trinity, with captivating, idiosyncratic alt-folk hottie BILL CALLAHAN making an overdue return (10th) before the heartstoppingly wonderful LOW arrive on the 20th.  That’ll do for starters.  Keeping the folk/country thread alive, old pals THE HANDSOME FAMILY‘s gothic Americana hits the Fleece (16th), the glacially beautiful trad-country songcraft of LAURA CANTRELL is a should-see at St Bonaventure’s (2nd) and the ragged, rootsy and downright lovely RURAL ALBERTA ADVANTAGE are a hot tip at the Cooler (18th).  Best of all, Matthew Houck’s PHOSPHORESCENT return to the Thekla (30th) still trailing a career-high breakthrough album of skyscraping country-rock wonder.  Maybe I won’t break down en route short of the bridge and end up getting towed back home this time, eh?  Elsewhere there’s folky eccentricity old and new, LOUDON WAINWRIGHT III doing the Colston Hall (21st) and St David’s Hall (11th) and Howe Gelb-esque piano man HANS CHEW taking in Buffalo Lounge (free show, 6th) before the Mother’s Ruin (8th).

In the mood for something a little different, a bit challenging?  Course you are.  Bristol delivers in spades, naturally, and Qu Junktions are the reason.  Over here for ATP this month, Sun City Girls’ Richard and Alan Bishop perform as THE BROTHERS UNCONNECTED, a tribute show of sorts to recently deceased colleague Charles Gocher.  Qu and the venue (Cube, 10th) are being coy about an extra-special support guest too, if you need further encouragement.  At the same venue on the 14th there’s a cracking double bill featuring the reunion of DAMON & NAOMI with MICHIO KURIHARA of Ghost and Boris – epic drone-folk ahoy – and the masterful RICHARD YOUNGS.  Essential, exploratory, tangential folk aceness.  Currently subject of a cinema documentary on their remarkable journey, joyous Congolese rhythmists STAFF BENDA BILILI are brought to the Colston Hall by Qu on the 20th, and if you’re into that check out GRUPO LOKITO, a sprawling Afro-Cuban troupe relocated from Congo to London.  Blinding booking at the O2 Academy on the 7th, where godhead MC and total voice of hip-hop RAKIM marks the 25th anniversary of ‘Paid In Full’ (eek!) with support from DJ Format and beatbox legend RAHZEL.  On a different tip, fiercely intelligent, playful, culture-savvy Brooklynites DAS RACIST may be divisive and blog-friendly enough to arouse suspicion but they’re one of the most interesting and certainly culturally unique voices in hip-hop, and allegedly pretty riotous fun live too.  Thekla on the 14th for that one, again highly recommended; as are, while we’re on hipster suspicion, WARPAINT, whose tribal, psychedelic indie-rock gets a run-out at the O2 Academy (17th, with Connan Mockasin) ahead of a Swn show in Cardiff next month.

Rowdier fare in Bristol this month comes in the shape of returning metal noiseniks ROLO TOMASSI, always tight as the proverbial live (Fleece, 10th, with HOLY STATE); frat-thrash rabble CEREBRAL BALLZY, back  at the Thekla on the 9th (props to support Thrush Metal for keeping their end up name-wise); Liverpudlian psych bruisers MUGSTAR, teaming up with the aforementioned ANTA and – brace yourself – Urethra Franklin at the Croft (5th); and Alec Empire’s latest incarnation of ATARI TEENAGE RIOT going around again at the Fleece (13th).  Blissful Scandinavian noisepop from THE RADIO DEPT, like a super-sugary MBV, comes to the Fleece on the 12th backed by Sarah Records alumni SECRET SHINE; elsewhere, forced into despatches by constraints of time and patience, there’s the return of oddball MOR genius ARIEL PINK (Thekla, 17th); urgent, likeable pop from FRANKIE & THE HEARTSTRINGS (Fleece, 9th), adorable beach-bum BEST COAST‘s woozy polaroid chug (Thekla, 1st), perfectly poised PJ Harvey torch-pop moves from ANNA CALVI (Thekla, 2nd) and proggy, dramatic Euro-synth flourishes from ex-M83 man TEAM GHOST (Louisiana, 16th).

Round-up time; this month sponsored by me not having packed for a camping trip to Machynlleth tomorrow morning.  Brief mentions, then, for two festivals bookending the month; Simple Things (Start The Bus/Old Firestation, 1st) offers JAMIE XX, GONJASUFI, BATHS, DAEDELUS, FLOATING POINTS and some more suspect stuff; Dot To Dot (various Bristol venues, 28th) hits big with …TRAIL OF DEAD then tails off dramatically with flaccid sub-MGMT crap like The Naked & Famous.  Hmm.  Much more admirable, and to be featured in these pages soon, is a Spillers Records-curated series of 12 Saturday afternoon sessions at the Big Little City exhbition in the Old Library.  The exhibition itself is a joyous multimedia celebration of Cardiff curios past and present; musical turns this month include HUW M (7th) and LLWYBR LLAETHOG (14th).  Elsewhere, give up some time if you please for THE KEYS (album launch, Globe, 6th), THE MIDDLE ONES (Buffalo Lounge, 1st), SARABETH TUCEK (Buffalo, 15th), AND SO I WATCH YOU FROM AFAR (Cooler & Clwb, 4th & 5th), NEDRY (CAI, 11th – they’re dead good), the double bill of ROZI PLAIN and TWO WINGS (10 Feet Tall, 22nd), THE JEZABELS (Buffalo, 17th) and SHAPES (Louisiana, 12th).  Before I finish, just time to mention some old lags treading the boards one more time to the same crowds and probably diminishing returns; enough about the Manics, though, let’s hear it for THE ZOMBIES (Globe, 25th), THREE OF THE MONKEES (Motorboat Arena, 24th) and barmy old ADAM ANT (Coal Exchange, 31st).  It’s a shit business.